Quark newbie question

[Jentherabbit]

Hi,
I have quark 6.1 and illustrator CS.
I'm new to Quark and am having trouble getting AI files to open in Quark.
I've tried flattening the AI files, turning them into PDF's, eps, changing pic boxes to text vica versa etc.
I get "cant open that file format" etc.
The files Im having the most problems with are AI files of text with drop shadows.
I assume Quark has no way to do drop shadows itself? Cant find anything in program to do it.

Do I have a version compatabilty issue?

The Ai's won't open, the EPS's look awful and the PDF's either arn't transferring correctly or lose the text effects.

thanks to anyone willing to help a cranky Quark newborn....

[morea]

moved to the Quark forum.

I don't think that Quark likes ai files, but then I haven't used it since version 4. Your eps files will be fine... they display looking really bad, but should print fine.

[defjoe]

ummm Quark is QUARK and Illustrator is ADOBE so it won't open AI files. you can place eps, tif, jpeg, etc INTO a quark doc... but you can't open a AI file in quark.

[defjoe]

Quark does have a drop shadow plug in but you have to buy it.

http://www.quarkalliance.com/xt_directory6_ads/ad_shadowcaster.html

[Jentherabbit]

Thanks for the replies. Wow my quark book says AI files are fine..

The designer for the book must have set the text wrong haha....ha.

If EPS files look awful , how do you proof them?

-Jen

[D-Zine]

I usually print out things to proof them. I never proof on-screen bc I will always miss something.

[PrintDriver]

You can upgrade to 6.5 for free. For a while they were giving away Alap's ShadowCaster as well but it looks like they are back to just the 40 free, useless fonts...

I'm not so sure you can place an .ai file even if you use the picture box first. Eps is safer anyway.

Proof using pdf. Adobe Distiller is best for that. Quark's Jaws pdf writer has bugs.

[imagemaker]

There used to be a third-party 'extension' (aka plug-in) for QX-4 called Enhanced Preview which could be activated or de-activated, and showed the hi-resolution PLACED image, .eps or .tiff, not the low-res preview place holder you are seeing. I have not looked into whether there is a comparable ext. for the newer versions.

[DonnaL]

I'm using Quark 6.5. No you cannot place .ai files in Quark. Has to be an .eps file And you can't just change the file extension to psych it out. I've known a few that have done that. LOL!
Also make sure you are selecting the picture tool and not the text tool when making the box to place the image.

[PrintDriver]

Oh, wait... With Quark 6 you can download a free onscreen viewer.
Go to Quark > Downloads and search for Full-resolution Preview XTension. Be sure to get the right version.

If you aren't using 6.1 then you should update.
Depends on your level of adventure to go to 6.5.